Never Let Me Go
by kitsuneshadow47
Summary: Arthur and Merlin are two sides of the same coin. Since they were children, they have always stayed at each other's side, but when Arthur falls sick to a mysterious disease of dark magic, Merlin makes the ultimate decision to save his life. A/M oneshot.


**Never Let Me Go**

**Characters~ **Arthur & Merlin

**Disclaimer~ **I do NOT own Merlin in any way, shape, or form because _Arthur_ does. XD

**Warnings~ **young!Arthur and Merlin, fluff, hand-holding, warm embraces, sort-of-AU Camelot, angst

**Music on My Mind~ **Yellow by Coldplay (don't own)

**Notes from the KIT-chan~**

Another gift-fic for **Merthur Dreamer **because this was indeed one heck of a Merthur dream to wake up from in the middle of last night...you'll see when you read it. TwT";

Enjoy, everyone~! :D

.::.*~Kit Shadow~*.::.

~o~

Long ago, there was a powerful king named Uther Pendragon, who once ruled a land called Camelot and was married to the fair Queen Ygraine, who was widely believed to have been the most beautiful woman on the face of the Earth.

And just like in most fairy tales, Uther truly loved her very much and constantly held her to the highest standard as much as he could possibly have done. Together they reigned over Camelot as just peacekeepers, gradually morphing it into a tranquil and pleasant domain.

However, above all the marvellous experiences both had been privileged with throughout the years, the king and queen had later on encountered a most unfortunate problem: the sad fact that Ygraine would never be able to bear an heir to the throne.

Indeed, the two had grieved miserably concerning this dismal predicament—but not long before Uther had, after arduous years of searching, found the panacea to their seemingly unattainable dilemma:

To conceive a child through the use of magic.

And so finally came the day when Her Highness was kept inside her bedroom in the presence of a High Priestess of the Old Religion. In time, Queen Ygraine had been able to give birth to a small but handsome baby boy, giving him the name of Arthur at first sight under the belief that he would one day turn out to be a fine king. For a moment, it really did seem that Uther and his darling wife were going to have the happy ending that they'd long awaited for.

But unfortunately, in such short a time afterwards, Ygraine had passed on due to complications in her health—a side effect of the spell that neither she nor the king had been aware of. Through the years that followed, Uther raised Arthur as a widowed father and never remarried to keep the everlasting love that he and his queen had once shared...until he had met a dear old friend from his past: a petite brown-haired young woman by the name of Hunith Emrys, who had just recently given birth to a son of her own—one with soft, jet-black hair as dark as the night and a complexion as pale as alabaster.

~Five years later~

"Merlin?"

"..._Merlin?_"

There was an appalled gasp. "Arthur Pendragon! You stop that this instant!"

At that moment, two young boys, one blonde and one raven, had emerged from the nearby corner, shoving and clawing at each other's necks like vicious animals.

Hunith quickly sprang between them, forcefully yanking the kicking and screaming children away from one another.

The raven let out a frustrated cry, flailing his arms out in front of him to reach for the other boy.

"Take it back! You _prat!_" he'd yelled at the blonde, face flushed a bright red.

The blonde only laughed dryly, likewise struggling under Hunith's surprisingly powerful death grip. But then his sapphire blue irises flashed dangerously in the evening light as he clenched his fists tight near the raven's face.

"Oh, only if you take back what _you _said first, stupid!"

"Boys!" Hunith shouted that instant. She exhaled sharply, giving some effort to keep the two apart from each other. But both only continued to thrash and screech like there was no tomorrow.

The raven almost hiccupped, tears brimming under cerulean-shining eyes.

"I hate you, you know that? I wish you were never born!"

The blonde growled under Hunith's firm grasp. "Is that _so_? Well, you have no _idea _just how long I've wished for the same thing!"

"ENOUGH!" the petite brown-haired woman cried stridently, pushing both children until they were standing on opposite sides.

In that instant, the two immediately stopped to look up timidly at a fuming, no longer patient Hunith, who looked at each of them with furious eyes.

"Bothof you—_ten seconds!_ Right now!"

At this, the raven stared anxiously at his mother, eyes widening with complete intimidation. The blonde only hung his head, letting out a long and suffering sigh.

"But _Mum—_" both started to protest.

"NOW!" she screamed, voice rising in anger.

In a split second, the two boys had latched on to one another, arms wrapped tightly around each other's torsos with warm, apprehensive breaths filling the air and ghosting over the tops of their shoulders. Then in the next moment, they squeezed their eyes closed shut, taking deep breaths and exchanging turns counting out loud in clear voices.

"One..."

"TWO..."

"Three..."

"_Four..."_

By the time they had gotten up to ten, both took two steps back in opposite directions and opened their eyes to meet the other's gaze, not looking away even once until Hunith would say so.

"All right," the brunette sighed, her aggravated scowl gradually fading into a serene smile. "Are we finally ourselves at this point?"

In response, the children turned to look at her, nodding once. "Yes, Mother," they replied in unison.

At that moment, Hunith made a small sound of content, then went on to dismiss them back to their rooms for bed and watched as the two walked off side by side, surreptitiously exchanging slight, shy glances with each other as they made their way down the corridor.

~o~

Their names were Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys. They were like two brothers from different ends of the earth—ones who never got along with each other at all as if they were polar opposites brought together into one setting and who found themselves constantly raising hell with one another.

As time went on, it became normal for the both of them to be seen quarrelling so often, and since they were small infants, they'd already been fighting over the same cradle. But when they had reached a certain age, Hunith had ultimately taken the initiative to construct a solution to pacify her two squabbling children.

Usually, all it would take was "ten seconds," and that would be more than enough to quell them completely, gradually forcing them more into each other's hearts, for ideally they were_ indeed _brothers—and brothers were not supposed to abhor but _love _one another.

But still they came from very different worlds, and it wasn't until one fateful day when the rest of the long-lasting tension between them had finally faded away.

~o~

It came as quite a terrible shock that morning when Hunith had died after falling sick from a grave illness, one that had no cure whatsoever despite the numerous remedies that the court physician had issued. Gaius had done everything possible to try and save her, but anything that was done had unfortunately come to no avail.

Merlin had been crestfallen in the week that followed, and on the day of her funeral, Arthur had been torn to see the anguished, forlorn expression on the latter's face.

The two watched silently as they slowly lowered the coffin into the deep earth.

The blonde closed his eyes and let out a sigh before turning to look thoughtfully at the raven with a soft, sad countenance. Then he swallowed hard before speaking in a hoarse, barely audible tone.

"Ten seconds?" were the words that came out of his mouth that instant.

But before Arthur could have said anything more, Merlin had already wrapped his fingers around his palm and gave it a slight squeeze. At this, the young prince winced at the other's reaction and slowly lowered his eyes to where he was holding his hand.

"Okay, then…" Arthur murmured quietly, taking a deep breath before he started counting out loud in as calm and clear a voice as he could have possibly managed. But still it came out as a soft whisper.

"One…" he began, shooting a brief, meaningful glance in the raven's direction. "Two…"

"_Three…_" Merlin muttered, closing his eyes.

The blonde's expression softened. "Four…" he continued, frowning solemnly.

But the second before he could even get up to ten, he'd found himself caught tightly in a fierce embrace by the other boy, hearing nothing but sobs as Merlin pressed his forehead against his shoulder.

And at that moment, all Arthur could do was place a warm hand on the middle of his back, murmuring all but two comforting words into his ear.

"_I'm sorry."_

~o~

From that point on, the boys would still sometimes take those ten seconds even when they weren't fighting, as they'd both ended up getting used to the routine as a regular habit. Eventually the two grew closer together, staying at each other's side as if they really were brothers of the same tree.

In the nights that followed that one day, the blonde had even agreed to give up his room to a servant in the royal household just so he could share with the raven, who often couldn't sleep because he'd wake up from terrible nightmares.

At that moment, Merlin whimpered and squirmed under the sheets, his tone fearful and anxious. "_Arthur?_"

Immediately, the prince opened his eyes and shifted over to the raven's side, calmly placing a hand on the other's shoulder and pulling him close so that his palm was on the middle of his back.

"Shh…it's okay. I'm right here."

In that instant, Merlin lifted his gaze to stare up at him, tears on his cheeks glistening in the dim moonlight.

Arthur let out a soft sigh of comfort, carefully moving his hand to stroke the other boy's back. And this would constantly be a habit as well, for it was the only thing that could get the raven to fall into a peaceful sleep—although at times he would even fake it just because he'd wanted to be held by the blonde. For a while, everything seemed alright with the world again when he would gaze longingly at the latter's soft, angelic expression, his hair as gold as the morning sunshine.

But one night, fate had suddenly turned for the worst once more right before Merlin's eyes, and the little one had been the first to notice the odd change in the young prince's condition.

It was one of those nights where, in a rare occasion, Arthur had fallen asleep before the raven could. Just when Merlin was about to settle into his own repose, he'd suddenly gone stiff when he'd become aware of something unusual and unpleasant hovering over the blonde's body—an ominous aura of some sort that was dark and insidious.

In that instant, the raven lay still as he worriedly observed the sleeping latter with much thought and concern. And the next morning, after overhearing a conversation between the court physician and the king, he was more than alarmed to find out that what he'd seen in the young prince the previous night had really been something fatal.

It was a condition that not even Gaius himself could describe to Merlin when he'd finally asked—a disease that was both described as inhuman and not at all of this world, for it was no more than the work of an ancient, evil magic that mere mortals could never understand nor be able to see.

The raven's eyes had widened tenfold that moment. "What can we do?" he'd asked in a fretful tone.

But Gaius had sombrely shaken his head.

~o~

The next day, though Arthur had seemed as healthy as he usually was, Merlin was still afraid inside that he would drop at any given point, as he was waiting apprehensively for a solution—a miracle of any kind—to come to mind, for he would never be able to bear the thought of losing his closest friend.

And almost like a phenomenon sent down from the heavens above, a compelling, mysterious voice coming from below the castle called out to him in the middle of the night, murmuring his name repeatedly. In the events that followed, the raven had pursued the curious voice while everyone in the castle was asleep, wandering into what seemed like a hidden cavern located just beside the dungeons.

Only there did he, for the first time, come face to face with the last living dragon of the world and realise his true purpose for being at the prince's side.

Since birth, Merlin had been bestowed with the gift of magic, and his destiny was to become a very wise and powerful sorcerer who would one day eradicate all evil, uniting the land of Albion into an era of peace with none other than Arthur Pendragon: The Once and Future King of Camelot.

At first, the raven had been rendered speechless to hear the words come out of old Kilgarrah's mouth, for he had no idea that he would have to face such an insightful future. But then the thought of Arthur lying sick in bed all by himself upstairs overtook his mind again, turning his hope into complete, utter despair.

"Arthur's dying, though," Merlin murmured quietly, lowering his eyes to hide the pained expression forming on his face. "And I can't do anything to save him."

For an instant, the vast cavern was filled with silence.

When the raven raised his head to look at the dragon, Kilgarrah's eyes were closed. Then he spoke slowly in a hushed but solemn voice.

"Perhaps...it is your destiny to _change_ that."

~o~

Later on that night, the young warlock lay awake beside the sleeping prince, longingly watching the tranquil expression that remained on the latter's face—the same face that was usually so bright and vivacious, smiling back at him.

But the sinister aura that continued to hover over Arthur's head only made Merlin frown with melancholia. What he would do for Arthur next would not just be for the sake of Camelot, but also for the good of the whole world.

After a long moment, the raven reached over to take his hand into his and listened quietly to the soft sound of his breathing before lowering his gaze to whisper words both complex and incomprehensible to the human ear, his ocean blue irises flashing bright amber gold for a brief second.

Merlin let out a small sigh, his eyes slowly closing shut as sleep eventually came to overtake his tired head. And at the same time in the minutes following the surreptitious exchange, the dark presence that ghosted over Arthur's body gradually faded into the shadows...reappearing on the other side to creep towards where the raven lay silently in repose.

~o~

The subsequent morning, the young Pendragon had woken up healthy and more lively than he felt he could have ever been. He'd sat up in his bed, a smile on his face as he glanced over to meet his best friend's sleepy gaze with warm eyes.

Arthur grinned, then crawled off the bed towards the other side of the room to change out of his bedclothes. For a moment, Merlin had managed to maintain a forced smile until the latter finally turned his back on him to grab his belt, but then his expression slowly became grim as he solemnly peered down to catch a glimpse of a shady, menacing aura emanating from the tops of his palms and legs.

Unfortunately, it wasn't even just that one night that the poor raven willingly absorbed the mysterious pestilence from the young prince's body, for every time Arthur would lie down to sleep next to him, Merlin would still catch faint traces of the evil plague lingering over soft, sunshine-golden hair.

And he would have no choice but to take the latter's hand into his palm, quietly murmuring the incantation in secret, for the last thing he'd wanted at the time was for the blonde to discover his unseen gifts and become livid at him for possessing the very thing that his father forbade the most in Camelot.

Kilgarrah said that it would be a while before Arthur's body would finally be free of the dark pestilence and much longer before he would ever be able to come see the truth for himself.

That night, Merlin's expression was sombre, and he'd left the cavern with a heavy heart.

~o~

As the days went by, the plague gradually wore down the raven's body from the inside. It wasn't until a month later when he was playing a harmless game of tag with Arthur and his friends that he'd ended up collapsing in the middle of the training field outside.

"_Merlin!"_

Immediately, the prince had caught him in his arms, anxiously calling for Gaius's help.

Later on that evening, the court physician had been appalled to diagnose the young warlock with the very disease that had, not so long ago, endangered Arthur's life—for at that point, he'd seen that Merlin's legs had already given out and just by looking at him, he'd realised just what he'd done to end up like this. But for the sake of protecting his ward's secret, he'd let out news to the king and his son that the poor raven had fallen sick to a terminal illness which required him to stay in bed at all times and prevented him from walking or going outside ever again.

And in response to the adverse reports from the old practitioner, Arthur had been struck with anguish, pained to see his pale-faced friend lying still with the covers pulled up to his shoulders. After that, despite the latter's tiny frequent smiles of reassurance, he'd never once left his best friend's side again.

In the following year, however, the King had finally declared the young prince eligible enough to begin official training with the knights of Camelot, and so Merlin would be left alone in his room in the afternoons to eagerly watch Arthur spar with other apprentices out on the field.

Then by the end of each session, the raven would call to the blonde from the windowsill, as if his name was the only word he knew by heart. And Arthur's semblance would soften when he would look to see his best friend smiling above, forcing him to run up the stairs to the raven's room, still dressed in his dirty armour.

"Arthur!" Merlin cried delightedly, his countenance lit with joy as he watched the blonde rush towards his side. But then he hesitated at the last second right when he noticed that the latter's clothes covered all over with streaks of mud.

"Hey, wait—you're still in your—"

Before the raven could say anything more, Arthur had already caught in a playful bear hug, half-tackling him to the numerous pillows that surrounded him that instant, and both suddenly burst out into paroxysms of laughter.

"Arthur..." the young warlock groaned, rolling his eyes in mock disdain.

At that moment, the blonde chuckled, smirking down at his best friend with an amused but warm expression on his face.

"Merlin," he murmured softly, blue irises shimmering against the faint evening light.

~o~

So much time had passed in that room, but the raven's condition had yet to improve. It would only be a matter of time before the rest of his life force would finally reach a permanent end...

And he would watch dismally within the hours as the aura around him progressively grew darker and thicker, knowing with sad thoughts that the blonde would never be able to see it for himself.

Or so he thought.

~o~

At five minutes before midnight, Merlin gazed longingly at the fair semblance set on his best friend's face, tranquil and composed with respite. He let out a small sigh, quietly shifting closer to the sleeping blonde, then dismally looked up at the ethereal haze as it lingered ominously over the latter's head, causing the young warlock's expression to turn grim as he remembered the solemn conversation he'd had with Gaius not that long ago.

~xXx~

The old court physician had stared at him with grave concern in his eyes as he examined each of his vital signs and found them weakening at critical rates by the second.

"_Consider your options carefully, Merlin," _he'd spoken slowly in a soft, serious voice. _"If you take any more of this pestilence from Arthur's body, you'll die."_

But the raven had only closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. _"I have every reason to protect the Once and Future King of Camelot...no matter what it costs me," _he'd replied, just above a hushed whisper. "_He's my best friend—and I refuse to let him go."_

~xXx~

With that, Merlin swallowed hard, feebly moving his arm down to grasp Arthur's hand, curling his own fingers around his as he whispered the final words that would ultimately complete his solemn task, the spell resounding silently into the deep darkness of the night.

Then he groaned faintly, half-heartedly opening his eyes to see the remaining shadows of the sinister pestilence disappear completely from the blonde's side and flow straight into the palm of his pale hand, forever setting the other free from harm's way. The raven let out a sigh of relief, carefully lifting his gaze to catch one last glimpse of the prince's face, and at first, he had thought that it was all finally over.

But that was when the hand he held suddenly went stiff, and a sharp intake of breath almost made Merlin's heart stop as he anxiously looked up at Arthur to meet wide, fearful blue eyes with his own irises still glowing bright amber gold.

Before the raven even realised it, he'd already found himself stumbling out from the covers, desperately struggling to maintain consciousness as he staggered frantically towards the door while the young Pendragon immediately jumped out of bed, expression stricken but concerned at the same time for his badly impaired friend.

"Merlin—" Arthur began, hastily rushing after him as the latter came within two feet from reaching for the doorknob. He swallowed hard, then winced, the next few words coming out hoarse and anguished. "Merlin, wait! "

But just when he was about to take him by the shoulder, the young warlock fell forward, collapsing right into his outstretched arms.

"Merlin..."

In that instant, Arthur stared anxiously at the other's increasingly sallow complexion, then frantically screamed at the top of his lungs for someone—_anyone's _help.

"GUARDS! Gaius!" he cried, holding the raven's fragile form close against his rapidly beating heart. "Please..."

~o~

At that point, Merlin only had one hour—nothing more, nothing less.

Gaius wiped the raven's forehead with a warm, damp cloth, then solemnly nodded once to the blonde before leaving the two children alone to themselves.

Merlin watched half-heartedly as the court physician made his way into the corridor, then gazed timidly at Arthur as he stood silently near the foot of his bed with a dismal expression on his face. After he'd heard Gaius close the door, he hesitated for a minute before opening his mouth to speak in a hushed tone.

"...are you mad at me?"

There was a long pause. The young prince looked up at his best friend, then unfolded his crossed arms and walked over to sit down at the raven's side, reaching over to take his hand warmly into his palm.

"No," he sighed softly, gazing tiredly into coy, shimmering cerulean irises. "No—of course not."

Merlin nodded quietly, lowering his eyes to stare solemnly at the burgundy sheets. But Arthur kept his own fixed on the latter's sad facade and winced as he spoke just above a hushed whisper, memories of luminous yellow eyes and insidious dark currents flashing in the corners of his mind. The Pendragon inhaled deeply, then closed his eyes, giving the other's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Why did you hide this from me?" he murmured, expression calm and unreadable.

The young warlock held his breath. "...because I was afraid."

Arthur was silent for a moment. "Afraid that I'd tell my father?" he asked, tone hoarse and slightly tense.

But Merlin slowly shook his head. "No..." he replied, his own voice faltering. "Afraid of what you'd say...I didn't want you to think differently of me—not when I wanted to save you first."

In response, the blonde opened his eyes and met the other's timorous gaze with sorrow. At that point, the glimmering pools of sapphire that had once been the raven's eyes were now dull and bleak, and now he looked more frail and sickly than he had ever been before, which tugged mercilessly at the prince's heart.

Arthur winced painfully at the agonizing sight, then shifted over to wrap his arms around his best friend, holding him as close as he possibly could while the lump that had formed in his throat gradually began to swell. And Merlin calmly placed his palms over the other's back, resting his head against the blonde's shoulder.

At that moment, the prince held back a sob, tears brimming under his eyes.

"But I don't want you to die..." the words came out in a hushed whisper. "Not like this...Merlin, please—I _love_ you."

A tear had already begun to roll down the raven's cheek. He closed his eyes, embracing the other boy like there was no tomorrow, and sniffled.

"I love you, too..."

The two children held each other for all that was left...before everything would eventually be gone.

~o~

Later on, Arthur had almost fallen asleep in Merlin's arms when he heard the latter speak again in a small, curious tone.

"There's a meteor shower outside."

In that instant, the blonde sniffed, pulling back slightly to gaze out into the morning horizon, filled with countless stars scattered along the vast, marvellous skyline.

And every few seconds or so, millions of yellow streaks of light would appear, surging past the faded, silvery silhouette of the moon.

Arthur's eyes softened. "I guess there is," he murmured quietly, watching with intrigue as one radiant stream suddenly split up into three dazzling rays and started to dance gracefully around a cluster of shining stars. He held his breath for a moment, then turned to see Merlin facing the windowsill, his irises glowing amber gold under the low light with an awe that just barely lit up the fragile, ashen frame of his countenance.

A contagious smile spread wide across the raven's face, and the young prince chuckled. "Save your strength," he spoke with a warm impression to his tone.

Merlin beamed at Arthur, then turned away from the window to look back at him with iridescent but dim sapphire blue eyes, and the blonde's expression grew bittersweet, sad yet so happy at the same time to see his best friend smile genuinely.

But after a while, the little warlock glanced back towards the brilliant cosmic curtain once more, and the Pendragon shifted his gaze to follow along.

"Arthur, how many do you think are there?" Merlin mumbled quietly, staring eagerly at the falling yellow rays disappearing into the middle of the orange sapphire sky.

Arthur paused. "I don't know." He let out a sigh, then looked at the raven when he felt a gentle squeeze over his palm.

"Can we count them together?" the latter asked, just above a hushed whisper.

At that moment, the blonde's eyes softened. "...sure." He took a deep breath, watching the radiant beams rush down against shady blue.

"One..." the two murmured, gazing up at the morning horizon, dimly lit by the gradually rising sun.

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

But as they went on, Arthur's voice began to falter when he'd noticed that Merlin's was slowly beginning to grow softer and fainter. And at that point, he already knew what was happening, but could not being himself to look at the young warlock.

"Five_..."_

By the time he had gotten up to nine, the warm grip on his hand had become cold, and Arthur's heart broke when he finally reached:

"_Ten..._" the blonde wept, letting the tears roll down both of his cheeks that instant. He let out a small sob, turning to cradle the raven's head in his arms.

"Merlin..."

~o~

The years passed, but Arthur never stopped thinking of the young warlock who had always been at his side and stayed with him to the very end. He would often find himself walking into the latter's chambers at dawn, gazing despondently at the morning sky through the small window located on the other side of the room.

"How long did he do this?" he'd ask countless times, only to get the same response from different people.

"_Since the day you starting devoting yourself to him," _they'd answer with solemn tones.

And he would constantly receive several rebukes and scolds from his father for lingering in a past that was yet to be forgotten when he should be looking more towards his future as the greatest king all of Camelot will have ever known. But despite everything he would hear from Uther, the prince would always keep his raven-haired friend in the very centre of his thoughts, dreaming of him every night before crying himself to sleep.

If he would need someone to talk to just to console his never-ending grief, he wouldn't hesitate once to pay Gaius a visit in the middle of the day or come outside to meet with his friends.

At that moment, Arthur closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. "I look for him in the room, and he's not there," he spoke in a hushed voice, slowly shaking his head. "I keep coming back, thinking that he's going to come out of the shadows with that stupid smile he always has on his face. But I end up waiting for so long, and he doesn't...then I remember why."

The blonde looked up to gaze into the distance, watching the wind blow past the trees in the nearby forest. Gwaine, Percival, and Leon sat down beside their friend, and Lancelot placed a comforting hand on the latter's shoulder.

"You might not see him now...but he's there," the brunette murmured, meeting the prince's stare with warm eyes. "He's always where you are...watching you—making sure that nothing else tries to put your life in danger again. Merlin had a kind heart. He didn't die in vain."

Arthur took a deep breath, then gave a meaningful nod to his good friend.

~o~

One night, the Pendragon, now older but still very much a child at heart, lay awake in the middle of his bed, silently staring up at the ceiling to remember happy, ocean blue irises staring back at him under morning light filled vivid with such a warm gleam that he would rarely blink for the moment, afraid that if he did, he would fall asleep, causing that mental image to disappear.

Ever since that fateful morning, the room had never felt so empty without...

_Merlin, _the name resounded in his head, illuminating every dark corner that remained in the little prince's troubled mind.

He sucked in a gulp of air, pulling the covers over his shoulders, and let out a sharp exhale, fighting the tears that brimmed over his two cheeks.

For an instant, it seemed Arthur had finally fallen still, his eyelids beginning to steadily drop closed...when suddenly he sensed an unknown presence and immediately opened his eyes to shift his gaze until it rested on the far side of the room where there had been another window, elucidating the stone floor with silver moonlight.

But what had made the blonde's heart stop for a split second was the shady figure lingering past the cold glass, dressed in what appeared to be a blood-red cloak until after a few more moments when as quickly as it had appeared, the suspicious silhouette had already gone.

From that point on, numerous thoughts had clicked together instantly in the Pendragon's head, and with that, he knew that something was terribly, completely wrong.

~o~

And it all came to fruition, the very next day when the emergency bells had started to ring, and every member of the King's court had gathered into the throne room immediately, only to be alarmed by violent tremors suddenly coming from the ground.

In just moments, the castle walls had started to cave in, and the people had run out frantically to find cover.

But before Arthur could even find anywhere else to turn to, the shady figure would be there again, watching him carefully from a far distance and causing a chill to run up his own spine. He was not at all mad, for he'd sensed this malevolent presence even before his best friend had fallen sick.

It was always there, just like those insidious shadows had been, keeping close attention to his every move. And this time, it did something that caused all hell to break loose in the corners of his mind.

For an instant, he thought he'd heard Merlin's voice emanating through the air around him...

"_Arthur...stay back..."_

"Who are you?" the blonde cried, before a shower of rocks started to rain down on him. Fortunately Gwaine and Leon were there to push him out of the way. But by the time he turned to look back at the cloaked stranger once more, the latter was no longer be in sight, and he'd already found himself being dragged off screaming by his four friends.

~o~

They'd needed Percival to hold Arthur down in his seat when they'd met up with Gaius to try and figure out what was going on.

"What the hell happened!" Gwaine exclaimed, plopping down onto one of the stools set aside from the nearest table. "It's literally raining bricks out there—since when do we get something like this?"

Lancelot glanced at Arthur for a brief moment, then looked at the old court physician with inquisitive eyes. "Gaius, can you explain what's going on?"

Gaius closed his eyes, then let out a sharp exhale. "The world has been set out of balance," he replied in a grave voice.

In that instant, the blonde looked up from his stupor, staring at the practitioner with mournful eyes.

Gaius met his gaze with a solemn expression. "Someone who is not supposed to be dead has passed into the next realm, while the one who is the other still remains to walk on grounds he should no longer be setting foot in. And that disparity has caused a ripple in the delicate veil that thinly separates our two worlds...causing all turmoil to arise."

Suddenly, the room grew silent.

Then every set of eyes fixed upon Arthur as he abruptly rose from his seat to stand before Gaius, a rigid semblance on his face.

"All of this is my fault," he replied in a stolid tone, swallowing hard. "But I'll be the one to set things right again." He grimaced, then turned to step towards the door when his friends instantly followed after him, insisting to accompany him to wherever he was going for at that moment in time, the outside world was definitely not the safest place to be in.

"Wait! Arthur!"

They'd pursued the prince all the way into the Darkling Woods, which was now engulfed in a thick, mysterious fog, and Arthur stood still in the very middle of it, gazing straight ahead of him with intent eyes.

"I'm here," he affirmed, his expression tense as he searched for the scarlet figure in the surrounding mist. "I know what you want." He let out a sharp exhale, waiting apprehensively in the dead silence.

But all he heard was nothing, and the blonde's face fell.

That was when a faint, familiar cry suddenly filled the air, and Arthur immediately froze when he recognised the sound of his best friend's voice.

"_Arthur…_" it echoed before fading into the hazy fog.

At that moment, the Pendragon held his breath and glanced over his shoulder to catch for a split second a glimpse of the ephemeral silhouette of a small boy standing only six feet away from him.

And in that instant, Arthur knew the owner of this timid shadow and stepped forward with to acknowledge the latter's presence, causing it to disappear just as he reached out to see if it was really…

_Merlin, _the blonde thought sadly to himself. He looked on ahead only to find a lone spot where the thick mist started to clear, revealing a path leading to a part of the forest that he'd never been aware of before. But despite this, he began walking down that trail and bumped into his four friends along the way.

At first, Arthur was surprised to see that they had all stayed with him to that point, but then he couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the pertinacious expressions on each and every one of their faces.

"We'll get him back together," Leon spoke, staring at the prince with steadfast eyes. "No matter what happens. I know I would ride into the mouth of Hell for you."

From behind, Percival let out a slight chuckle. "And I."

Lancelot grinned humbly. "And I."

"And I as well," Gwaine laughed, prodding Arthur on the shoulder. "For _both _of you."

And in response, the blonde couldn't help but give them a meaningful nod, eyes softening as he pictured the raven standing proudly among the group.

"_And I," _his voice resounded in the prince's head.

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. "Then to the mouth of Hell it is."

~o~

It wasn't long before the cloaked stranger had reappeared before them in the middle of the winding road, and instinctively, Arthur had sprinted headlong in the latter's direction, refusing to let the figure escape his sight again.

"STOP!" the prince shouted, quickly drawing his sword from its sheath. But before he could even take another step, he'd found himself standing at the edge of a vast sea, shrouded with an even more enigmatic fog that gave off an eerie impression forcing the Pendragon to remain where he was.

It wouldn't stop him completely from saving his best friend, though, for as the seconds passed, he could hear Merlin's voice growing stronger and stronger, calling his name over and over again in faint, resonating cries, and he'd almost felt the latter's warm presence in the air around him, tugging at the very core of his heart as if he'd _wanted_ him to proceed. So he did.

Far off in the distance stood a dark, mysterious island that Arthur could have sworn he'd heard in numerous legends mentioned by his father:

The Isle of the Blessed—widely rumoured to have been the dwelling area of the notorious High Priestesses of the Old Religion. But as a toddler, the blonde had only thought of it as no more than a mere myth.

Soon, the blonde found a small boat floating on the dark waves nearby, and in less than a minute, Percival had yanked close to shore so that everyone could get on, with Leon and Gwaine rowing the oars.

Moments later, they had made it to the small isle safely, although not until they'd been attacked by two Wyverns from above.

Immediately, the knights ran for cover, fighting off the vicious creatures with their swords, then scampered towards the back entrance, only to be separated by a massive rock-fall that trapped Arthur and Lancelot on the inside and left the others stranded on the outside.

"Gwaine!" the Pendragon shouted, listening for his friends beyond the mountain of boulders. "Leon! Percival! Can you hear me?"

"Arthur!" Leon called back, a shuffling sound causing all five of them to jump. "Are the two of you all right?"

"We're fine!" Lancelot replied, observing the colossal rocks before him.

"What about you?" the blonde added.

"Don't worry about us!" Percival shouted back, moving a few of the boulders aside.

"You go on ahead!" Leon insisted. "We'll find another way in!"

"But what about the dragons?" Arthur asked apprehensively, cautiously glancing up at the sky to search for the two beasts.

However, all he heard was in reply was the sound of Gwaine's imperious voice from the other side. "We're knights of Camelot! Of _course _we can handle them!" the brunette shouted. "Now go get Merlin, for crying out loud!"

At this, Lancelot chuckled, meeting the prince's irritated gaze with a huge grin. "They'll be fine," he assured.

Arthur rolled his eyes, exhaling sharply as he turned to start making down the stone path. "Oh, I can _see _that," he'd muttered dryly under his breath.

Lancelot laughed, then tagged along behind the blonde.

~o~

For a moment, it seemed as if the land was deserted as the two knights came across various ruins that were as ancient as the time before Arthur's ancestors even took the throne. It had been deathly quiet, and not a soul was around to greet them.

But they still maintained their guard until soon, when the prince had heard his best friend's voice calling to him once more and a split second later caught a glimpse of blood-red silk clothing from afar.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered softly, instinctively stepping forward to rush over in the direction of the cloaked figure when suddenly he'd felt a hand grab his shoulder and turned around to see Lancelot looking at him with wary eyes.

"How can you be so sure it's not a trap?" he asked quietly, staring at the blonde reluctantly. "We don't even know who that stranger is."

At this, the latter paused, gazing down at the ground with a melancholic countenance. "Because I can hear him," Arthur murmured in a hushed tone. Then he looked up at his good friend. "I can hear him calling my name...and I can feel him..." he went on, slowly lifting his hand to place it over his heart. "...in _here._"

In that instant, Lancelot nodded once to the prince with a sombre expression.

"_...Arthur?_" Merlin's voice called again, forcing the prince to turn away from the brunette.

Immediately, he started sprinting headlong into the deeper parts of the ruins where he later found himself standing in a vast clearing with none but an unfathomable silvery-gray portal in the air that was hovering across its very middle.

From there, the young warlock's calls had gradually faded, and the cloaked figure stood in front of the torn veil, facing the prince in complete silence.

Arthur closed his eyes and began to speak in a solemn tone. "I know what has to be done," he asserted, gazing at the stranger with impassive eyes. "And I'm here to make things right, so please...just tell me what you want."

For a moment, there was no response. But then the latter started to laugh, raising an arm to reveal the face of a beautiful woman with striking blue irises and a flawless complexion as fair as ivory. Her hair was dark brown and semi-curly, falling evenly around her semblance.

The Pendragon inhaled sharply, taken aback by the unexpected sight. "Who are you?" he enquired, voice tense and slightly hoarse.

In reply, the woman had only grinned, revealing white teeth that glistened under the dim light. "Who am _I?_" she drawled, staring at him with a sarcastic look on her face. "Well, I'm surprised you wouldn't remember me, _little baby Arthur._" She blinked, tilting her head to the side. "But it's been a while, hasn't it?" She chuckled dryly.

Arthur held his breath, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides. "What do you mean?" he spoke back, narrowing his eyes at her.

The dark-haired brunette shrugged, then let out a long and suffering sigh before shooting him a fierce look.

"Of course you wouldn't know," she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes piercing daggers on the blonde in an instant. "After all, Uther did hide everything from you, didn't he? Poor Ygraine never even had a chance to hold you in her loving arms."

Immediately, the prince's eyes widened as he heard the sound of his mother's name being mentioned. Then he began to grit his teeth himself. "Who _are _you?" he asked again, this time with a bitter edge to his tone. "And how do you know my mother and father?"

At this, the woman laughed incredulously, slowly shaking her head from side to side. Then she stared straight at Arthur. "Because I am none other than the Lady Nimueh, High Priestess of the Old Religion," she declared in a forceful, even voice. "_I _was the one who ensured the gift of your birth, only to be banished by your spiteful father himself when his precious love went away." She paused for a moment, glancing over to observe the other's stiffening stance, then continued in an even more mordant tenor. "Yes, Arthur Pendragon, you were born with the use of _magic_. Embrace the ironic fact itself while your father continues to persecute all sorcerers and enchantresses alike."

The blonde's breath stilled, and his expression became rigid.

Nimueh chuckled acerbically, giving a slight shrug. "Hmph. It wasn't even my fault that your dear mother hadn't been up to full strength the time you were conceived in her womb. I warned your father several times beforehand but he wouldn't listen. And because of his hatred and his ignorance, I _ensured _that I would have my revenge on him someday."

In that instant, Arthur swallowed hard and grimaced. "You were the one who set that curse on me before," he murmured in a dazed tone. "You wanted to kill me when I was still a child."

Nimueh scoffed, rolling her eyes at the blonde. "Had it not been for that wretched boy," she spat out, glaring at him with disdain.

The Pendragon let out a sharp exhale. "_Merlin _was my friend," he growled, gazing intently at the brunette. "He saved my life, and I'll never forget that."

"You're just like Uther," she huffed with a frown. "Taking from others without knowing the boundaries set before you...I don't believe you for a second. But then again, why should it matter? It's not as if it's going to change this imbalance you've foisted on your own kind."

"You're wrong," Arthur shot back, eyes smouldering sapphire blue. "Because I'm here to get him back. My friend sacrificed himself out of his own will just for the sole purpose of protecting me, and I was there to watch him die in my arms. But he never deserved to endure any of this in the first place...which is why I come now before you to settle these things once and for all. And I am prepared to give you _anything _just to see his return, because _I _am the one who should be standing on the other side, not him. I swear, on my honour, that I will do everything that you tell me to do...Nimueh."

Suddenly, there was a moment of silence between them. Then the priestess spoke in an amused, hushed murmur.

"You would strive that far...for a mere _boy_?" she inquired with slight incredulity.

Arthur slowly shook his head. "He's not just anyone," he replied, swallowing hard. "I'll even give my life if you let him go, for I am greatly, sincerely sorry for what my father has put you and your people through. I will do whatever it takes to change his sense of reason."

At that moment, Nimueh paused, considering the interesting offer. "Hmph. I see how it is, then...I was mistaken. Perhaps you are not so much like him at all," she spoke, pulling a strand of hair from her face before meeting the blonde's noble gaze. "I commend you for indeed suddenly making this conversation quite intriguing, Arthur Pendragon...but I am afraid I have to decline, for it is not simply your life that is required to restore the balance between the two worlds."

The prince stiffened.

The brunette smirked confidently, raising a hand to gesture towards the latter's right pocket. "It is whatever lies in there that I must willingly receive to bring one back from the realm of the departed."

In that instant, Arthur gulped, slipping his hand into the pocket of his armour to feel the cold surface of the only memento he'd ever had left of his beloved mother aside from pictures he'd found in his father's bedside table drawer. He pulled the shiny object into his palm, gazing down at it with mournful eyes. "This belonged to my mother," he murmured, reluctantly holding the brooch out in front of him.

Nimueh chuckled softly at the gesture, extending her hand out for the item. "And it bears her sigil, does it not?" she crooned, eyeing the trinket with interest. "Now all you have to do is hand it over..."

The Pendragon winced, wrapping his fingers gingerly around the engraved bird on the latter's front. "I'm not sure if I can," he offered, just above a hushed whisper.

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you," she sighed, looking straight into the prince's eyes. "You must choose between your friend and your most treasured possession. Decide which, in reality, is of more importance to you."

At that moment, Arthur exhaled sharply, closing his eyes to remember vivid yellow eyes gazing back at him with delight...then he took a deep breath, stepping forward to place the silver brooch in the middle of the priestess' pale palm.

In response, Nimueh made a small sound of content. "Alright, then...hold out your hand and close your eyes."

The blonde swallowed hard, obeying the brunette's order without a single word. He composed his expression and pushed every doubt out of his mind, not even feeling when the priestess placed her palm over his wrist and sent him deep within the dark gap inside the veil.

~o~

Soon, the prince had heard a light chuckle tickle his ears, and suddenly he began to feel a radiant, familiar warmth surrounding his entire body. It was not Merlin, but he slowly opened his eyes halfway to catch a glimpse of long, sunshine blonde hair framed around a fair, beautiful complexion that Arthur had vaguely remembered seeing many times in various dreams...

When he saw the latter smile affectionately at him, his breath stilled immediately as he realised who the person was as she held him gingerly in a tender embrace.

"Mother," the Pendragon whispered softly, reaching up to wrap his arms around the other's torso.

Ygraine's expression softened on her son, and she shifted over slightly so that he was leaning his head against her shoulder. "I've missed you, Arthur," she spoke quietly, giving the prince a brief kiss on the temple.

Arthur took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears that were forming just below his eyes. "I've missed you, too..." he murmured in response, breathing in the redolent, unforgettable scent of his beloved mother's golden hair.

The Queen gazed longingly at her only child, gently stroking the middle of his back. The blonde sniffled, snuggling into her soothing touch. "Don't leave me," he whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes and letting out a long, steady sigh.

But Ygraine only grinned sadly, leaning her head down to whisper in the latter's ear. "I'll always be with you," she spoke in a kind, reassuring voice. Then she let out a small exhale, raising her gaze to glance over the prince's shoulder.

"Just like _he_ will," Her Majesty added with an amused smile.

In that instant, the Pendragon opened his eyes, carefully turning around to follow his mother's steadfast stare. But the second he stepped back from the comfort of Ygraine's loving embrace, everything around him had suddenly faded away, taking him to another realm that he'd never known before.

~o~

For a moment, all had been quiet, and Arthur soon found himself drifting between the two worlds, feeling so sleepy and light-headed at the same time. But from this point on, he still kept his eyes closed, lingering in the new dimension with caution and regret, for he had not been able to say farewell to his dear mother.

Although he knew he'd had a very good idea of who'd been, and still was, standing behind him that instant. He could feel the latter's presence from the very core of his heart, but he remained where he was, paralysed by the fear that if he turned around to look at him then, he would disappear again before his very eyes.

So the blonde stood there in silence, waiting for the timorous shadow to approach him and prove the ultimate fact that he was indeed real. But as the minutes passed, all he'd heard was nothing, and his face fell as the sound of the young warlock's voice in his head gradually started to grow fainter.

"_Arthur..._" the call resounded weakly in the vast darkness.

Arthur let out a sharp exhale through gritted, slowly clenching his hands into balled-up fists. _No...this can't happen, _he thought tenaciously to himself. _Not after everything we've both been through..._

He swallowed hard, then began to bring forth all of the cherished memories he'd forever kept stored in the far corners of his mind, mental images of the young raven burning brightly that moment.

The Pendragon took a deep breath, then started to count out loud to himself, Merlin's voice echoing his after every word. "One..." he spoke, tightening his fists even more. "Two..."

A flash of their first fight began to run through.

~xXx~

There was a small shout, then a wave of laughter.

"_Arthur! Give it here!" _Merlin cried, jumping up from the ground towards the young prince's raised hand.

"_Not on your life," _he'd replied with a mischievous smirk, tauntingly waving his hand in the air.

~xXx~

Soon, the image of his best friend tackling him to the tall grass gradually faded away, and the prince bit his lip, his arms trembling slightly.

"Three..."

~xXx~

One of the final evenings when Hunith had asked them to return to their rooms after a round of "ten seconds".

The two of them had sat opposite each other, gazing into each other's eyes from the feet of their own beds, doorways separated by nothing more than a narrow space of corridor.

"_I'm sorry I called you stupid," _the blonde had murmured, staring at his best friend with longing eyes.

And the raven had stared back at him with the same remorseful expression. _"Me too. I'm sorry I called you fat."_

"_It's okay," _he'd replied, eyes softening that instant.

~xXx~

"Four..." Arthur croaked, his voice slowly beginning to falter as the lump in his throat started to swell once more.

~xXx~

Sniffle. _"Arthur?"_

"_Shh...it's okay. I'm right here."_

~xXx~

At this point, there were already claw marks forming where the blonde's nails dug deep into the skin of his palms. "Five..." he managed, feeling as if his heart was being tugged at from different directions. "Six..."

~xXx~

"_I don't want you to die..."_

A broken sob. _"Not like this...Merlin, please—I love you."_

A sharp exhale. _"I love you, too..."_

~xXx~

"Seven..." the Pendragon wept. His eyes started to water.

~xXx~

"_There's a meteor shower outside."_

"_Arthur, how many do you think are there?"_

"_I don't know." _

"_Can we count them together?"_

"_...sure." _

~xXx~

Soon, he could hear the raven's voice again as it got louder and louder with every passing second.

"Eight..."

"_Arthur! Arthur!" _it called repeatedly within the depths of his mind.

At that moment, hot tears fell from both of his cheeks. "Nine," the prince whispered, hands shaking at his sides.

That was when he felt warm, slender fingers wrap around his palm, forcing Arthur to open his eyes and to glance back to see the blurry image of a tall raven. In an instant, he'd held his breath, wanting so much to touch the face before him to see if it was truly, definitely _him..._

But as quickly as he had lifted his other hand, everything in his view began to swim away, and in a split second, the blonde fell back into nothingness, all sense of consciousness slipping instantly.

"_Ten."_

~o~

When Arthur woke up, he found himself lying on his bed back in his own room, startled to see the sun shining brightly through the window beside him and everything in Camelot intact as it had been before.

Upon the quick realisation, he hastily sat up, searching around the room until he saw that Lancelot was sitting at the table near the foot of his bed.

"Are you all right, sire?" the brunette asked humbly, staring at the blonde with careful eyes.

Arthur nodded once, glancing up at the stone ceiling of his chambers. But his expression was unsure.

_Everything's back to normal... _he thought puzzlingly to himself.

"Where are the other knights?" he asked, shifting his gaze back to his good friend.

"They're downstairs in the armoury," the latter replied, raising a curious eyebrow at the prince. "You've been out for quite a while."

"...so I have, then," Arthur murmured, lying back on his pillow with a stolid expression on his face. But then he frowned, heart dropping when the events of the previous day started tumbling back into his mind like a big hurricane, leaving him almost at a loss for words. The last thing he'd seen was none other than the silhouette of...

Hair black as night.

Eyes bluer than the deepest sea.

A familiarly scintillating smile that outshined even the slightest ray of sunshine.

"Where's Merlin?" the words came rushing out his mouth that instant. He swallowed hard and looked at Lancelot with a rigid countenance.

At that moment, the brunette's face grew solemn, causing the blonde to go tense. "Bad news..." he sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor.

Arthur immediately stopped breathing, his heart pounding with apprehension as he waited for the latter to finish speaking.

There was a long pause. Suddenly, a smile spread wide over Lancelot's face as he looked up at his friend with a warm gleam in his chocolate-brown eyes. "He's still alive," he announced, gesturing towards the other side of the room.

At this, the prince exhaled slowly. Then when Lancelot grinned again and got up to leave the room, he turned around to see an azure-eyed raven with a fair, ivory complexion, staring at him with a bright expression on his face. In an instant, the blonde had reached over to catch his best friend in a strong, fierce embrace.

"Merlin," Arthur breathed, resting his chin on the other's shoulder.

Merlin chuckled softly, placing his hands over the Pendragon's torso. "Arthur," he whispered, smiling against the latter's neck.

The blonde let out a long sigh of relief, holding the raven as close as he possibly could.

The young warlock took a deep breath, closing his eyes to breathe in the other's comforting scent. "Are you all right?" he murmured concernedly, looking up to gaze into refulgent, cerulean irises.

Arthur nodded in response. "Yeah."

Merlin swallowed hard and thought for a minute, letting his best friend's warmth surround the air around him. Then he inhaled slowly, speaking in a hushed tone. "Why did you come back for me?"

For a moment, the room grew silent.

"Because you're my best friend..." was the reply in a soft, meaningful whisper. "...and I can't afford to lose you."

The Pendragon closed his eyes, cradling the raven's head against his chest. "Don't leave me ever again."

The young warlock smiled, leaning into the prince's gentle touch.

"_Never,_" he murmured back with iridescent pools of liquid sapphire.

~o~

**Music on My Mind~ **Quasimodo (Arrow) by SHINee (don't own XD)

**Notes from the KIT-chan~**

_Review? ^^";_

This oneshot was both a b*tch and a pleasure to write, mostly because I had to keep grabbing a bunch of tissues each time I had to continue on from all the sad parts. It was literally like yanking my dream from the back of my mind, so at least now I've gotten those emotions off my chest. If there are any holes that I didn't quite cover enough in this fic, please don't hesitate to ask me any questions. X"D

Hope you guys enjoyed it~! ^_^

.::.*~Kit Shadow~*.::.


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